In the 13-year period of 2005 through 2017, canines killed 433 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (284) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths. | More »

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Kennewick Man Kills Neighbor's Dogs After They Attack Chickens

Kennewick Man Protecting Livestock and Family Kennewick, WA - A man shot and killed his neighbor's two pit bulls after they got into his chicken coop, then charged at him. Laura Chandia spoke of her husband's actions,"He was protecting his family and our livestock. It was the third time they were in our yard that day."

When police arrived, one pit bull was found dead in the fenced area of the chicken coop and the other was in the fenced backyard. Obadiah Soto, who lives next door in the 3400 block of South Auburn Street, said the pit bulls were just puppies and didn't need to be killed.

"They're babies. They're not even 6 months old yet," Soto said Tuesday. "They're harmless. ... There's a much better way of handling it than pulling out a gun and shooting a new neighbor's dogs."

The pit bulls, Precious and Vicious, are owned by Michael Soto, Obadiah Soto's brother. Soto said they do run toward people when they see them, but not in an aggressive way. Laura Chandia disputes that. She said every time she opened the door to try to shoo them away, they ran toward her, growling.

"They were frenzied around the chicken coop and one of them got in," she said. "My son went to the window to distract them, and one got out. They discovered the hole in the hen house, and my husband went to scare them away and one came out at him."

The owner of the dogs, Michael Soto, could not be reached Tuesday because he was in the Benton County jail on an outstanding warrant.

On July 29, 2007, a 6-month-old pit bull in Bath, New York, killed 6-year-old Sabin Jones-Abbott of Steubin County, New York. The boy had been feeding the dog only minutes before.So how old do they have to be before they will kill?